What happens when two of silent cinema’s biggest names–actress Gloria Swanson and director Erich Von Stroheim–collaborate on a lavish and decadent costume epic? Guest writer Marsha Collock details the on- and off-screen drama that marked 1929’s Queen Kelly.
Read more →Articles by: Marsha Collock
Don’t You Just Hate It When…
Sometimes, the personal lives and off-screen controversies of Hollywood’s biggest stars can tarnish their accomplishments in the entertainment industry. In today’s guest post, Marsha Collock shares her views on three celebrities whose lives were touched by scandal.
Read more →The Roaring Twenties (1939): The Biggest Shot of Them All
Scandal! Roscoe Arbuckle’s Day Off
Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was one of the biggest stars of the silent film era until a scandal rocked his career. In today’s guest post, Marsha Collock examines the downfall of a true comedy original.
Read more →Taking the Long Way to Gary Cooper
Guest blogger Marsha Collock wasn’t always a fan of Gary Cooper. In this article, she discusses the films that helped turn her opinion on the classic actor around.
Read more →Mary Astor: The Prisoner of Moorcrest
Beautiful Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke) was the daughter of teachers who didn’t really want to teach. When lovely Lucile showed a talent for acting and became a semifinalist in a Motion Picture Magazine beauty contest, papa packed up…
Read more →The William Desmond Taylor Murder Mystery
Today’s guest post that focuses on the unsolved killing of early film director William Desmond Taylor: When it comes to unsolved mysteries, the murder of William Desmond Taylor is one that continues to fascinate. There have been reams written about this case….
Read more →How to Steal a Million (1960)
How to Steal a Million (1960) A faded ruin seen in twilight can be a beautiful sight. Time, decay, and benign neglect don’t usually show a monument to its best advantage, but if she is structurally sound and inherently lovely…
Read more →Midnight Mary (1933): The Mesmerizing Beauty of Loretta Young
Guest blogger Marsha Collock writes about the exploitation classic Midnight Mary: Meet Mary Martin: Orphaned and sent away to a reformatory at 14 , hooker and gun moll at 17 and a secretary and murderess by 20. She’s a good…
Read more →Pola Negri and Rudolph Valentino: Birds of Paradise in Love
Pola Negri and Rudolph Valentino, two of the most famous and glamorous movie stars of the silent era, had a secret romance…or did they? Guest writer Marsha Collock examines the details behind the duo’s clandestine relationship.
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